PETALING JAYA: Students, support staff members and lecturers should be fully vaccinated once colleges and universities reopen their doors, say medical experts.

       Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia (APHM) president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh (pic) said it was apt that institutions of higher learning reopened for physical classes but this should only be for those who were fully vaccinated.

       “A student can only learn so much through virtual classes and the development of character and social skills can only happen if they have face-to-face contact with others.

       “However, vaccination must be made mandatory for both students and lecturers who want to return physically for classes,” he said.

       Dr Kuljit, who said he was speaking in his personal capacity as a medical expert, said that students who refused to be vaccinated should only be allowed to further their studies online.

       “We can’t deprive of them of their education but we can deprive them of their social activities if they are not fully vaccinated, such as not being allowed to attend physical classes,” he added.

       He said vaccines had proven to be effective in preventing those who were infected by Covid-19 from developing serious conditions.

       “Selangor is a good example where there is data to prove that higher vaccination numbers have resulted in lower number of serious cases,” he added.

       Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah said to create a safe environment for both academic staff members and students, all must be vaccinated.

       “If students are not vaccinated, there is nothing to protect them from slipping into Category 3, 4 and 5 especially with the new mutations around.

       “If lecturers and support staff members do not want to take the vaccine, then there is no choice but to give them clerical work to do or to put them on unpaid leave.

       “We need to be strict and there should be no compromise on the health of everyone,” he said.

       Universiti Malaya professor of epidemiology and public health Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal said higher institutions of learning should reopen based on current community transmission levels and the system’s response capacity.

       He said making vaccination a mandatory requirement for entry into college or university might pose an ethical issue.

       “It is recommended that all students and staff members register and get vaccinated. However, it is a difficult ethical dilemma to mandate vaccination as a requirement for entering universities.

       “Those who refuse to be vaccinated should accept the heightened risk of severe disease,” he said.